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Gordon Elliott Cheltenham Stable Tour including Galvin, Sire Du Berlais and Tiger Roll
Don't miss our Cheltenham stable tour with Gordon Elliott complete with video interviews from Cullentra Farm.
American Mike
He’s in good form and we’re very, very happy with him. Jamie Codd rode him up the other day and Jamie doesn’t ever say a lot but he’s very happy. You can’t be anything but impressed with Facile Vega and Willie’s other horse Redemption Day looks good too. Facile Vega looks the one to beat for me but our horse is a good horse and if he gets there in one piece and everything works out then he won’t be far away.
Braeside
He’ll join Run Wild Fred in the National Hunt Chase. He ran well in the Paddy Power at Leopardstown on nicer ground so we know he stays and he ran in a Grade Two at Navan last time. He’ll have learnt a lot from it as they were Grade One horses in a Grade Two and I was happy with him in third.
Chemical Energy
We could run five or six in the Martin Pipe and Chemical Energy we’ve kept for the race. I suppose the one worry I’d have with him is that he went for the Bumper last year and he lost a lot of weight but he’s a year older now and he’s in good form.
Conflated
People will knock holes in his form and he’s a horse who is a bit hot and cold but he’s definitely in a better place than he was, he’s a lot more settled and we’re happy with him. Whether he goes for the Gold Cup or the Ryanair, time will tell. If you listen to Michael (O’Leary) he’d love to go for the Ryanair and if you listen to Davy Russell he’d love to go for the Gold Cup so he can ride him. We’ll see what happens but in my mind there’s only one Gold Cup and at Leopardstown last time he beat last year’s Gold Cup winner by five and a half lengths. I know Minella Indo is better around Cheltenham but our horse hasn’t done anything wrong. The other side of it is, if you take Allaho out of the Ryanair then it looks open and you should never be afraid of one horse.
Delta Work
He's probably going to join Tiger Roll in the Cross Country and if it rains it'll suit this lad more, but good ground would be in Tiger Roll's favour.
Doctor Churchill
We’ll probably run four or five in the Boodles and Doctor Churchill’s jumping can be a little bit novicey. But he’s getting better with every run.
Dunboyne
He’s qualified for the Pertemps and it could be 50-50 whether or not he gets in. He’s well weighted if he does run and he’s been a bit unlucky in his last two runs. He could be dangerous off that weight.
Ebasari
He’s another for the Boodles and he had a good run at Cork first time out, beating Adamantly Chosen. We’ve got two more runs into him to get him qualified and he seems in good form.
Fil Dor
I think the track (Cheltenham’s New Course) on the Friday will suit him an awful lot better than Leopardstown. He’s a couple of lengths to find with Willie’s horse (Vauban) and we’re all saying it’s going to be a three-horse race but the English might just come and spoil the party. It’s going to be a good race and if it comes home to Ireland again it’ll be great. Whatever Davy (Russell) doesn’t ride Jack (Kennedy) will ride the other and the owners are big owners and it’d be good to get a winner.
Frontal Assault
The Kim Muir is a good race and if you’ve got the good amateur riders then you’ve probably got half a stone up your sleeve. We’ll probably run three in the race and we’ll claim 7lb off Frontal Assault with Rob James.
Galvin
He’s in very good form and he worked well last Monday under Jack Kennedy. He’s been to Cheltenham and won three times around the track. He’s shown a bit more pace this season and he’s probably got to improve a little bit on form but he’s going well. If he can get into a rhythm and be thereabouts two out then I think he’ll come home strong. We said we’d go there fresh after winning the Savills Chase and I think he’s improved no end since Christmas. He never knows when he’s beaten and we’re really looking forward to it.
Ginto
He was always going to be a big staying chaser and that’s what he’s going to be. We’ll just wait and see what the ground is and decide whether he goes for the Ballymore or the Albert Bartlett and at the moment I’d be leaning towards the Ballymore. He’s not as slow as people are saying he is as he won his maiden hurdle, his Grade Two and his Grade One all over two and a half miles. The Albert Bartlett is a slog and you need a horse that really stays. He knows how to win and jumps very well, he’s a nice horse.
Glenloe
He was second in the Pertemps Final a few years ago and he looks very well handicapped. He’s had plenty of problems and hasn’t been an easy horse to train but on his A-game he wouldn’t be far away. We’ve Jamie Codd, Rob James and another good jockey up our sleeve too so we’ll have to wait to see what Derek O’Connor decides to ride.
Hollow Games
He's in good form, we're just going to wait to see where he fits in with a few of the others as he's in the Ballymore, the Albert Bartlett but also the Martin Pipe.
Iberique Du Seuil
He works better at home than he runs on the track and he could be well handicapped running off a low mark in the Boodles.
Mighty Potter
The Sky Bet Supreme looks like it could be one of the races of the week, certainly that’s the way it looks on paper at least. Mighty Potter is a bit of a forgotten horse, he’s a Grade One winner [video replay below] and there’s not a lot of chat about him but he’s a good horse. He races a bit behind the bridle, if he’s in firing distance at the second-last I’m sure he’ll come home strong so we’re looking forward to it. Jamie Codd rode him here earlier in the week and he’s very happy with him.
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Minella Crooner
He's on target for the Albert Bartlett after a really good run at Leopardstown. The winner was probably ridden to best effect that day and our lad was held up and made a bad mistake two out which might have cost him. He's a very nice horse and a strong stayer which is what you need for the race in Cheltenham.
Mount Ida
She’s shown a lot more pace this season. Last year she came home from the Festival and she was very sore, she might not have been right and twisted over the first fence. It was a good race she won, the Kim Muir second came out to win the Ladbrokes Trophy. Sometimes we get focused on training a horse over a trip and we’re afraid to bring them back but we’re training her for a bit more speed this year and it seems to be making her faster. There’s not a lot between her and Elimay and Put The Kettle On could be dangerous but our mare is in good form.
Pied Piper
In Punchestown Pied Piper and Vauban were a bit keen and a bit novicey and I was hopeful our lad would come on for the run. He went on to Cheltenham and won well, and course experience is massive for juveniles. It’ll be an interesting rematch. He’s probably more of a speedy horse than Fil Dor.
Queen’s Brook
I was very happy with her in Punchestown last time. She jumped very well and she will have come on an awful lot for the race. She’s not been the easiest to train but thankfully she’s in good form and we’re really happy with her. The track will suit and she’s got a big squeak.
Riviere D’etel
She’s improved with every run this season, I thought at the start of the season she was a light filly and wanted to be doing everything in a bit of a hurry. Back then I thought she’d be one we’d have to make hay with while the sun was shining but she’s improving with every run. She was unlucky the last day, she jumped brilliantly all the way to the last and it ultimately cost her, but she’s come out of it very well and she’s in good form. It’s a good race with Edwardstone and Willie’s horses too but ours is a good mare and I think Cheltenham will suit her as she stays. I think we might just change things a little bit and wear the hood to the start and take it off for the race, that’s the plan.
Run Wild Fred
He’ll run in the National Hunt Chase and he was second in the Irish National last year. He won the Troytown, he’s been placed in the Grade One and I think he ticks a lot of the boxes for the race. For me, it’s a race that second-season novices having a fantastic record in. You have to travel and you have to jump over three mile and six (furlongs). His style of racing and the ground drying out a bit would suit him.
Sire Du Berlais
He’s in good form and he’s won two Pertemps Finals, very gutsy both times. He’s looked beat at the top of the hill both times but stays and stays and he seems to like Cheltenham. His form is good there and he’s 4lb higher than when he last won the Pertemps so we’re taking 7lb off with Rob James. For me it just doesn’t look quite as hot a race as normal but I think he could have a great chance as he’s working well. He’s very laidback and finding enough of a test for him in Ireland is the problem.
Smoking Gun
He ran a very good run when winning the Porterstown Handicap Chase earlier in the season and ran well again at Fairyhouse the last day. He’s in very good form.
Teahupoo
He’s in very good form and as well as Appreciate It he’s the horse in the race that is very unexposed. Our horse hasn’t done anything wrong so far and goes up in his first Grade One. He’s improving and sometimes they are the type of horses you need to overturn a horse like Honeysuckle. If I told you he’s good enough to win a Champion Hurdle I’d probably be telling you a lie but he’s entitled to take his chance in the race.
The Goffer
The Goffer is an improver going into the Martin Pipe and a lot of times the winner of that race has Graded form already. He’s won a Grade Three last time and he could be dangerous.
Three Stripe Life
He was second to Sir Gerhard at the Dublin Racing Festival and didn’t do anything wrong. He made a mistake at the last but was probably beaten fair and square. He’s only had three runs over hurdles and is improving all the time, but he’s a big horse and will be a chaser in time. But this looks a cracking race but it’s Cheltenham and that’s what it’s all about.
Tiger Roll
He’s obviously won it three times and he’s won five times in total at Cheltenham as well as the two Grand Nationals. He’s the horse of a lifetime. He’s working very well and if the ground comes up good at the Festival he’ll take a bit of stopping. We had him over at Cheltenham schooling and he enjoyed it again. It’s unbelievable to think he won the Triumph Hurdle through to the National Hunt Chase and the three Cross Country Chases. He’s in as good a nick at home as ever and if the ground’s good he’ll be a good ride. This is going to be his last run and Michael (O’Leary) owns him and wants him back home to let the kids and his whole family enjoy him and look after him. If he can go back and do it again it’ll be a dream come true but as long as he comes back in one piece that’s all we want.
Zanahiyr
Honeysuckle is unbeaten and she’s rightly a warm order. You couldn’t be anything but impressed with what she’s doing though she probably had a harder race than ideal the last day for her prep going into the Champion Hurdle. She just knows how to win and it’s very hard to beat here. With Zanahiyr we’ve got six and a half lengths to find with her, we’ll put cheekpieces on – it’s not that he’s ungenuine – and I think the track will suit him a lot better (than Leopardstown).